no sé español
/no se espaɲol/from spelling rules
To say "I don't know spanish" in Spanish, use no sé español.
This phrase is used to inform someone that you do not speak or understand the Spanish language.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of no (not), sé (I know) and español (Spanish).
Which one should you use?
While no sé español is the standard way to say you don't speak the language, no conozco el español implies a lack of familiarity with the language as a concept or entity, which sounds unnatural in this context. Another common alternative is no hablo español, which focuses on the act of speaking rather than the knowledge of the language.
How do you pronounce it?
/no se espaɲol/
Did you know?
- The word español likely comes from a Punic word meaning 'coast of hyraxes'.
- Before the middle of the 14th century, Old Spanish used a different version of the word, españón, which has since completely disappeared.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries español, no, sé, CC BY-SA 4.0.
